Pensacola, FL -- AHL destination?

[fedfed]

Let my fantasy run wild trying to reform minor league hockey based on info we have.

One thing I noticed -- Pensacola IceFlyers drew average crowd of 4090 last year, that's more than 9 AHL teams (including Hartford, by the way). They have an arena with capacity of 10000.

It seems like with all the moving pieces in 2015, it'd make sense for the Panthers (or the Lightning) to bring AHL to Pensacola, no?

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[jabberoski]

Let my fantasy run wild trying to reform minor league hockey based on info we have.

One thing I noticed -- Pensacola IceFlyers drew average crowd of 4090 last year, that's more than 9 AHL teams (including Hartford, by the way). They have an arena with capacity of 10000.

It seems like with all the moving pieces in 2015, it'd make sense for the Panthers (or the Lightning) to bring AHL to Pensacola, no?

Not going to happen. Neither the Panthers nor Lightning own their AHL affiliate. So, unless someone purchases an existing AHL team and intends to move them to Pensacola, it can't happen.

Also, ticket prices for the SPHL are a lot cheaper than the AHL or ECHL, and the cost to run a team in the league is a lot less as well. One of the reasons the SPHL team has worked there so well after the Ice Pilots struggled their last few years in the ECHL.

 

[JungleJON]

Not going to happen. Neither the Panthers nor Lightning own their AHL affiliate. So, unless someone purchases an existing AHL team and intends to move them to Pensacola, it can't happen.

Also, ticket prices for the SPHL are a lot cheaper than the AHL or ECHL, and the cost to run a team in the league is a lot less as well. One of the reasons the SPHL team has worked there so well after the Ice Pilots struggled their last few years in the ECHL.

How do you know it is not going to happen? Many on this site thought there would NEVER be an AHL Western Division. And now the ECHL and CHL might join to become one. ANYTHING is possible, and if the NHL team owns their AHL team, don't think they will worry too much about money problems.

Raleigh used to have an ECHL team, so did Columbus and Nashville - how come they had such a jump in attendance for an NHL team, when the ECHL prices were so much lower???

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Won't pretend to have inside knowledge about the situation of minor league hockey in Florida, given the option of either the Panthers or Bolts buying an AHL team and moving them in-state or of a minor league group buying up into the AHL, I'd venture that Orlando would be more likely of an option.

 

[hkymnky]

Won't pretend to have inside knowledge about the situation of minor league hockey in Florida, given the option of either the Panthers or Bolts buying an AHL team and moving them in-state or of a minor league group buying up into the AHL, I'd venture that Orlando would be more likely of an option.

I agree that there could be stronger markets in Florida outside of Pensacola, however having a team in Orlando would likely require being tenants of the Orlando Magic. While this could work (see Milwaukee) it could just as easily prove problematic (see Houston). I'm not sure Tampa Bay or Florida would want to be paying rent to what is effectively an in-state competitor.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Won't pretend to have inside knowledge about the situation of minor league hockey in Florida, given the option of either the Panthers or Bolts buying an AHL team and moving them in-state or of a minor league group buying up into the AHL, I'd venture that Orlando would be more likely of an option.

The Solar Bears have an arena lease through 15-16 so it wouldn't happen until after that. I thinks it's very doable though as Orlando had an average of 6000 the last 2 years (tix average $22 and food is way overpriced) so I don't think revenue would be an issue.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

I agree that there could be stronger markets in Florida outside of Pensacola, however having a team in Orlando would likely require being tenants of the Orlando Magic. While this could work (see Milwaukee) it could just as easily prove problematic (see Houston). I'm not sure Tampa Bay or Florida would want to be paying rent to what is effectively an in-state competitor.

They would be tenants of the Amway Center which is owned by the City of Orlando not the Magic. However the Solar Bears have to change their schedule every year because the Magic have priority.

 

[Nightsquad]

Anything is possible. The AHL was supposed to have a team in West Palm Beach back in the 1990s. Do a google search, that info is out there. The Palm Beach Lions or something like that. Palm Beach Auditorium was supposed to be their home.

 

[CJNewman]

Anything is possible. The AHL was supposed to have a team in West Palm Beach back in the 1990s. Do a google search, that info is out there. The Palm Beach Lions or something like that. Palm Beach Auditorium was supposed to be their home.

Being an option in the 90's has no effect on today. The best comparison to minor league hockey in the 90's to now would be comparing beanie babies in the 90's to now. Hockey was going through a boom period mostly assumed of of Gretzky going to the Kings, but if you look by the end of the decade the bubble had burst and many teams and a few leagues folded.

 

[CJNewman]

How do you know it is not going to happen? Many on this site thought there would NEVER be an AHL Western Division. And now the ECHL and CHL might join to become one. ANYTHING is possible, and if the NHL team owns their AHL team, don't think they will worry too much about money problems.

Raleigh used to have an ECHL team, so did Columbus and Nashville - how come they had such a jump in attendance for an NHL team, when the ECHL prices were so much lower???

Like I said earlier cities like Columbus, Nashville, and Raleigh were benificiaries of the 90's boom. Also one last question when did the AHL officially announce that there would be a Pacific Division. I have scoured the internet looking for this announcement and haven't found anything I even went to their official website and no mention of a Pacific Division. The fact is this any reports about a Pacific Division at this point are just rumor and speculation. The powers that be aren't even sure how this is going to all unfold and even if they do their not saying. We won't know anything official for almost a year. I believe that teams will move West just not every team like everybody else here. So until there is an official announcement of a Pacific Division in the AHL those people who say that their will never be one are still technically right.

 

[adsfan]

I agree that there could be stronger markets in Florida outside of Pensacola, however having a team in Orlando would likely require being tenants of the Orlando Magic. While this could work (see Milwaukee) it could just as easily prove problematic (see Houston). I'm not sure Tampa Bay or Florida would want to be paying rent to what is effectively an in-state competitor.

The rumors are that the Bucks don't want the Admirals in their new proposed arena, which is supposed to be open for the 2017-18 season.

Note: There is no site for the arena. Only $200 million of the 400 to 500 million cost of the arena has been accounted for so far.

 

[JungleJON]

So until there is an official announcement of a Pacific Division in the AHL those people who say that their will never be one are still technically right.

I guess that would be like the people living in the Mid-West standing out in their yard saying "the storms a coming, I can see the tornado in a distance" and they hear the warning siren to get into their storm cellars, BUT a few of the folk are saying "when I actually see and feel the storm, then I'll know it's here". By that time the roof is blown off their house and their bathroom is in their living room.

 

[CJNewman]

No it's more like an NFL team going 4-0 in the pre-season and declaring themselves Super Bowl Champions.

 

[GindyDraws]

No it's more like an NFL team going 4-0 in the pre-season and declaring themselves Super Bowl Champions.

Well, in 2008, Detroit DID goe 4-0 in the preseason...

 

[CrazyEddie20]

It seems like with all the moving pieces in 2015, it'd make sense for the Panthers (or the Lightning) to bring AHL to Pensacola, no?

Sure, it'd make sense, if there was a franchise available to be bought and moved to Pensacola, AHL teams nearby to drive down travel costs, demand for AHL hockey in Pensacola, a fan/sponsorship base that would respond to the corresponding bump in ticket and advertising prices, an arena with suitable facilities for the AHL, and media that actually cared about hockey.

But there are none of those things. So no. Only you and Geoff the Pensacola Wannabe Intern think is a viable possibility.

 

[SemireliableSource]

The Bay Center seats 8,150 for hockey. Last year's numbers were helped thanks to two complete arena sellouts (usually the team only uses the lower bowl) and one damn near sellout about 7800 or 7900.

While the Ice Flyers already have some of the highest ticket prices in the SPHL, and close to AA prices really, there's no way this area could support an AHL club. Especially not with the state the Bay Center is in.

Also, there wouldn't be enough ice availability unless the owners of the AHL team could completely sweet talk the arena's upper management (who aren't the biggest fans of hockey using the building despite the sport keeping that thing afloat). The past three SPHL championship series have been only three games. The league has the option for the teams to agree to go five but with Pensacola, that's not possible as they've had no ice available after the weekends of the series. Usually it's gets melted that first Monday. This year it was worked up for Disney on Ice then taken out.

 

[FloridaCat]

I do not see an AHL franchise as sustainable in Pensacola. While the metro area has a population of roughly 450,000 and around 150,000 households, the amount of households at or below the poverty level is high. The Ice Flyers of the SPHL charge $29 for seats on 1st row, $20 for center ice, $18 for the corners, and $15 for the ends. There are discounts for season tickets, seniors, children, and the military. I believe the team's management does a very good job of running the team in this market.

The former Ice Pilots were the Tampa Bay's ECHL affiliate from 96-08 and were done in by poor management. So an ECHL franchise with good management should work.

The county commission had the arena up for sale a few years back for roughly $10 million. No takers. They have discussed everything from tearing it down to putting about $15 million into it to bring it up to ADA and modern standards. The county will be hung up on building a new jail facility, to replace the one that flooded and blew up back in April, so the arena issues are on the back burner for a few years.

 

[SemireliableSource]

The Pilots were not the Bolts affiliate from 96-08. There was also time with Toronto, NYI, Chicago, and as an independent with a working agreement with AHL Houston (Dave Farrish's only year).

 

[FloridaCat]

FrancoRussianAlaskan you are correct. I mushed together two trains of thought into one sentence. I should not post when tired. I was trying to post when the Pilots were in the ECHL and that at one point they were affiliated with Tampa.

 

[IceFlyersRule]

one answer to this, simply no. this will never happen. could the fans support it? yes. anyone else and given the circumstances of things in the area would make it impossible though. but I will have to say the ECHL could work here again. but most of us fans are just as happy with the team staying in the S. its fun hockey.

 

[wvkeeper]

Anything is possible. The AHL was supposed to have a team in West Palm Beach back in the 1990s. Do a google search, that info is out there. The Palm Beach Lions or something like that. Palm Beach Auditorium was supposed to be their home.

West Palm Beach Barracudas is the team that eventually came of all that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Palm_Beach_Barracudas

 

[spitshockey81]

The Barracudas played before the AHL awarded a team to West Palm. The SHL played in the early/ mid 90s and the Lions weren't slated to begin play until 96 or 97 and were the last team to ever call West Palm home...sort of. The franchise interestingly, is the current Texas Stars

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

The Panthers have a better shot at being demotes to the AHL